Read Imperial Stars 3-The Crash of Empire for Free Online Page B

place!"
    The Executive Officer took a half step forward to catch himself. He fumbled at his fly, blinking at Shibura. Then his jaw tightened.
    "What in hell—?" He shoved Shibura away. "You just take off."
    "No. This is the Portal from the Captain. It—"
    "You don't know what this is. We don't run off into the bushes the way you do." He kicked at the floor. "This stuff absorbs it."
    Shibura stared at him, uncomprehending. "And you stroked the woman, the Priestsister, in an inappropriate manner."
    "Spying, huh?" The Executive Officer had regained his composure. He shook his fist. "You guys want to tell us about women? Huh—you're unqualified."
    Shibura said slowly, "We have our own—"
    "You have nothing . Nothing we didn't give you. We fixed you so you wouldn't screw too much, wouldn't overpopulate. So you got a mating season, like animals. We did it."
    "The mating fortnight is the natural Fest time of all men—"
    "No, skinhead. I'm a man. You're a test-tube experiment."
    "That is an untruth!"
    "Yeah? You're trained for obedience. To kneel down to Jumpship men—real men."
    The Executive Officer's lip curled back. Casually, openhanded, he cuffed Shibura. The Priest's head snapped to the side. "See? Made to take it."
    Shibura felt something terrible and strange boil up in him. His pulse quickened. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He could not find focus in this swirling of intense new feeling.
    "We . . . are following the path of certitude . . ." he began, quoting from the ceremony of dedication.
    "Right, that's a good boy. You just run along now, I've got some more business to attend to here."
    Shibura started to turn away and suddenly stopped.
    The Executive Officer was unbuckling his pants. With a muffled grunt he started to squat and then looked at Shibura again. "What are you waiting for? Get going."
    "No. No!"
    The man hitched up his pants and held them together with one hand. He stepped forward, bringing a fist around—
    Shibura blocked the arm. He clutched at the man's hands, not knowing what to do, and felt a sharp blow in his ribs. The pain startled him and he pushed, nearly losing his balance. Cloth ripped. He grappled at the other man as they fell together. The floor seemed to rush upward into his eyes. He landed with the Executive Officer's weight on top. His face pressed into the softly resistant foam. He caught the stench of urine and gasped. He wrenched upward and got free of the weight. He rolled away. The Executive Officer was flailing after him, and Shibura came up on his heels, ready to spring.
    There was some distracting noise but he ignored it to concentrate on his opponent, who was slowly getting to his knees. The noise came again. It was a voice.
    "Hold! Shibura, move back—" It was a Priestfellow.
    Shibura froze. He allowed arms to encircle him, half listened to their river of words and exclamations. His thoughts ran furiously, and the Organic Portal seemed bathed in hot red light. The Executive Officer glared at him and raised a hand to strike, but another hand appeared and blunted the blow. The other man's face moved away, saying something, and was gone.
    The sounds came as though from a great distance, hollow and slow. He stumbled away from there on the arms of two Priestfellows.
    There was a sharp burning in his nose. He wiped at it and his fingers came away smeared scarlet. He tried to speak and found his mouth clotted, as though stuffed with acrid cotton.
     
    Word of the event had reached the great hall. There was a babble of voices. With carryingholds and slings the Priestfellows were removing the Paralixlinnes.
    Shibura stood and watched numbly. The two Priestfellows still held his arms. He saw the Captain looking over at him, lines furrowed on his brow.
    After a time he blinked and saw the Firstpriest standing before him. The old man regarded him for a long moment and then said softly, "No word will be repeated of this. I have heard of the event. I think it best you do not follow us to